home

In these pages the class of 2009 will write their comments and tips for using Alice 2.0 software.

__General Tips__
(BL) Ctrl-click (right click in Windows) on the object in the Object Tree to access methods. This allows you to try the methods without actually writing code (software).

(RD) Go through all the tutorials, even if quickly. They will give you a general idea of how and what to do.

(EB) If you want to erase any of your code just drag the code to the trash bin on the top of the screen.

(BL) If you want to delete an object from your world, click on and drag the object from the Object Tree to the trash can.

(PV) If you try to make your skater run into an object, it will just move right through it. In general, objects don't collide without you, the programmer, writing code to determine when they collide.

(NM) If you want to create another human in the software, just go to "Add Objects", click on "people", and there should be two sections that say "hebuilder" and "shebuilder". As you open the box, don't get to excited because there are really not that much options to create a super awesome character.

(RD) The only way to delete a new method you created is to go to the side that has the properties, methods, and functions, and drag the new method from there to the trashcan.

(LF) When working with a specific part of an object zoom into it with the camera. (right click the camera option, go to methods, click "get a better look at", and choose the specific item you are working with.)

(MC) Here is a link to Alice 3D world. (examples) http://www.alice.org/gallery/index.html (BL) These are also available from within the Alice application itself. When you add an object, you should see the gallery at the bottom of the screen. Just above the gallery is the directory tree. Here's a pic:. Click on "Home" (or the up arrow) and you will see folder options below for the local and web galleries. Choose the web folder, and you will see the same objects as shown in the link Marcus provided above.

(BL) Check out the Penguin object! This little guy has more methods than your average object. Someone (his creator) has written "walk" and "glide" methods, for example. So now you, as the world designer, can use these methods and make your world more interesting more easily. Otherwise, if you wanted your penguin to walk, you would have had to write a "walk" method yourself.

(DA) when you want something to change color, make sure that only specify it and not select it. If you select it the object will change color and stay that color for the rest of the program.

(PV, BL) In order to make two or more events happen at the same time, there is a "DO TOGETHER" option at the bottom of the ALICE window. Drag the DoTogether loop to the programming window and fill it with the actions you wish to "blend" together. Keep in mind if you do opposite movements, like move up and down, together nothing will happen!

(PV) In order to give the appearance that an object is getting eaten use the "RESIZE" method.

(BL, DA) A "DummyObject" is a very valuable tool. Think of it as an invisible object. You can find DummyObjets by clicking "Add Object" and then "More Controls." Here's an example of a use: click on an object in the object tree, then chose "Drop Dummy at Object." Notice you now have a Dummy Object in the Object Tree. You can now move another object, say a chicken, to that Dummy Object's location: chicken.MoveTo(Dummy). Or you can move the camera: camera.MoveTo(Dummy). Cool, huh?

(LF) Comments are useful to help to you and future viewers what is going on. You can find this tool on the bottom right just click and drag it to a method area then type a quick explanation about what is going on.

__Method Explanations__
(BL) The "OrientTo" method makes your object align itself with whatever object you specify. For example, Cow.OrientTo(Chicken) makes the cow point in the same direction as the chicken - not //at// the chicken.

(PV) The "RESIZE" method can increase or decrease the size of the object

(PV) The "MOVE AT SPEED" method can let you choose how fast or slow an object moves

__v 2.0 Bugs (on Macintosh)__
(BL) Object bounding box feature does not work.

(BL) Object RGB axes do not appear

(DA) If you want to make a camera look at something you have to also put point at ...whatever... because if not it will just move and won't look at the object.

(BL) Opacity does not work. Any value set to below 50% appears invisible; anything greater appears 100% opaque

(LF/AMO) Before entering page six of the nap time tutorial make sure method tab is highlighted or it will not work.

(PV) When you are trying to make your skater skate make sure that you put "1 step". If you put ".25 steps" or ".5 steps" your skater will not perform any movement.

(PV) The class chicken will not let you select the "Set Pose" method. When you drag it, it just pops a menu that only says pose. [Can someone confirm this? - BL] (RD) Yes, I can confirm it. A menu pops up and says pose, but doesn't allow you to click on it or anything. So essentially you can't set the bunny's pose.

(PV) When you try to make a "Class Bunny" "Say" or "Think" it turns the world black and the bunny turns into a shadow. In order to fix the problem you have to close the program. This problem persists even after there is another method applied by another object or the bunny itself.

(PV) When you add the wolf object to your world and click the move forward method, the wolf seems to sink into the ground as it moves forward.

(DA) if you move an object forward or backward and then make it move left or right, then don't put it together in the "do together", because it will not work. Just do them individually.

(PV) When you select the move foward to the head of the cow the head detaches from the body and moves foward as the rest of the body stays in place.

(DA) Unlike most applications, double-clicking on an Alice World file will start the Alice application but will not open the world. You have to open Alice first and then open your project/world from the File menu.

(RD) In order to open a saved world (that does not appear in recent worlds) you have to open alice first, then find your world and open it.

(RD) Every time an object talks it makes the your world in alice darken.

(AMO) Make sure that when you try to save the project, you save it to the shared drive; when you do it from the project make sure you do it from the alice program, if not, it won't let the mac open it.

(DA) If you want to make the camera look at something, then make it point at the object, not the dummy, because it will give you a bug. [BL] This is not really a bug so much as a programming error; the camera cannot point at a dummy object if the camera is at that dummy object's location.